Unit #4: Kaitiakitanga in Action

Lesson 4 of 5: Sustainable Practices: Learning from Ngāti Kahungunu

Duration: 60 Minutes

Year Level: Year 8

Class Size: 30 Students

Curriculum Area: Aotearoa New Zealand Histories, Social Sciences — Te Takanga o Te Wā

Curriculum Level: Level 4

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Ākonga Learning Outcome:

By the end of this lesson, students will:

• Describe specific sustainable environmental practices used by Ngāti Kahungunu, particularly in the Hawke’s Bay region.
• Understand how traditional Māori knowledge and values such as kaitiakitanga have guided resource management.
• Apply comparisons between traditional and contemporary sustainability practices through group discussion and collaborative inquiry.

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Key Concepts from the NCEA Learning Matrix:

• Big Idea: Māori history is fundamental to New Zealand’s history.
• Significant Learning: I can explore how Māori values like kaitiakitanga shape decision-making.
• Mātauranga Māori Integration: Explore traditional practices and beliefs such as rāhui, seasonal harvesting, and river guardianship (tangata tiaki).

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Resources Needed:

• Printed fact sheets (Ngāti Kahungunu sustainable practices – supplied by teacher or school)
• Large iwi map of Hawke’s Bay with marked rivers, forests, and coastline
• Whiteboards or A3 paper for group brainstorming
• Felt pens, sticky notes
• Video clip (4 min): Oral accounts from Ngāti Kahungunu kaumātua discussing eel (tuna) harvesting practices – pre-filmed and locally sourced
• Laminated image cards showing tūpuna tools/methods (hīnaki, patu ika, etc.)
• Template sheet: "Past, Present, Future Sustainability"

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Lesson Outline:

🔹 1. Karakia & Whanaungatanga (5 minutes)

Begin the lesson with a short karakia timatanga to ground learning with cultural integrity. Follow with a brief mihi and check-in — “What is one thing you’ve shared with your whānau about this unit so far?”

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🔹 2. Introduction & Warming Up Prior Knowledge (10 minutes)

Purpose: Connect with previous lessons about kaitiakitanga and Māori relationships to land and water.

• On the board, write: “What does sustainability mean to Ngāti Kahungunu?”
• Students do a rapid Think-Pair-Share.
• Ask: Have you or your whānau ever been part of a rāhui? Why would it be put in place?
• Use the iwi map to visually locate key Ngāti Kahungunu areas in Hawke’s Bay and explain how iwi boundaries affect resource use.

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🔹 3. Mātau o Mua – Exploring Traditional Practices (15 minutes)

Purpose: Students learn about three traditional sustainable practices of Ngāti Kahungunu.

• Watch a 4-minute video clip of a kaumātua explaining tuna (eel) harvesting methods and the reasons for seasonal limits.

• Students split into six groups (5 per group).

• Each group receives a different sustainable practice card. Examples:

  • Seasonal fishing (tuna, inanga)
  • Use of traditional fishing tools (hīnaki, kupenga)
  • Harvesting of harakeke for weaving
  • Māra kūmara with lunar cycles
  • Use of rongoā (medicinal plants)
  • Forest management without felling sacred trees

• Groups read the card, answer on mini whiteboards:

  1. What was the practice?
  2. Why was it sustainable?
  3. Would it still be useful today?

• Each group shares one fascinating fact with class — teacher makes a chart of recurring values/themes: kaitiakitanga, mauri, tapu, mana whenua.

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🔹 4. Hands-on Comparison Activity: Past – Present – Future (15 minutes)

Purpose: Think critically about how Ngāti Kahungunu practices relate to current environmental issues.

• Each student receives a "Past–Present–Future Sustainability" worksheet.

• Column A: Write one traditional Ngāti Kahungunu practice they investigated.

• Column B: Fill in a modern equivalent (e.g., DOC fishing quotas, environmental protections).

• Column C: Imagine a future solution that blends Māori and Western ideas (e.g., app that tracks harvest limits based on lunar cycles and rāhui alerts).

• Circulate and scaffold students who may struggle with futuristic thinking — encourage imagination and relevance to their rohe.

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🔹 5. Ako Panel – Collaborative Circle Chat (10 minutes)

Purpose: Deepen dialogue and encourage voice.

• Form a hāpai kōrero (fishbowl setup). Inner circle: 8 students; outer circle: listeners.

• Prompt:

  • “What can we learn from Ngāti Kahungunu about looking after our whenua and awa today?”
  • “How would you convince our council to use Māori practices in their planning?”

• Students rotate into the centre every 3 minutes to speak.

Teacher acts as facilitator but allows for mostly student-led discussion.

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🔹 6. Reflective Wrap Up & Exit Ticket (5 minutes)

Purpose: Consolidate understanding & encourage personal relevance.

Prompt on board: “Which Ngāti Kahungunu practice would YOU bring back today — and why?”

• Students write their answers on sticky notes and post them on the class Ngāti Kahungunu Kaitiaki Wall.
• End with a short karakia whakamutunga.

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Assessment for Learning:

• Observational notes during group work and hākari kōrero to identify engagement, critical thinking, and cultural understanding.
• Student “Past–Present–Future” worksheet can be used for formative assessment (highlight individuals requiring extension or support).
• Sticky note reflections provide insight into individual connection and understanding.

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Extension/Kaiārahi Ideas (Optional):

• Invite a local iwi representative or kaumātua to speak to the class during next session.
• Visit a local wetland or marae-based māra to explore sustainable practices on-site.
• Create a digital mural of practices using student-designed icons representing mauri, taputapu, and other key concepts.

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Teacher Note:

This lesson seeks to centre mātauranga Māori and uphold the historical integrity of Ngāti Kahungunu while offering students a future-facing, innovative lens for sustainability. Use it as an opportunity to foster localised curriculum connections and strengthen ties with whānau, hapū, and iwi in your region. Ka rawe!